Diet quality of Chilean schoolchildren: How is it linked to adherence to dietary guidelines?

Pinheiro Fernandes, Anna Christina; Araneda, Jacqueline; Quintiliano Scarpelli Dourado, Daiana; Pizarro, Tito; Marques, Maria

Publication:
Diet quality of Chilean schoolchildren: How is it linked to adherence to dietary guidelines?

dc.contributor.author	Pinheiro Fernandes, Anna Christina
dc.contributor.author	Araneda, Jacqueline
dc.contributor.author	Quintiliano Scarpelli Dourado, Daiana
dc.contributor.author	Pizarro, Tito
dc.contributor.author	Marques, Maria
dc.date.accessioned	2025-03-24T19:01:53Z
dc.date.available	2025-03-24T19:01:53Z
dc.date.issued	2025
dc.description.abstract	Introduction: In Chile, the prevalence of overweight among schoolchildren over the age of 5 is approximately 50%, one of the highest in the Americas region. This is largely influenced by the presence of inadequate food environments, characterized by limited access to healthy foods and a high availability of highly processed foods (HPF). This study analyzes food consumption in Chilean schoolchildren and the association of this with the Chilean Dietary Guidelines Based on Foods (DGBF) and the HPF consumption. Material and methods: The sample (1,094 schoolchildren) was obtained from the baseline of the FONDEF IT18I0016 project, in Santiago-Chile. Anthropometry and socioeconomic data were measured. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative frequency survey featuring images of food groups aligned with DGBF, as well as HPF. All data were collected by trained professional nutritionists. Associations between dependent and independent variables, and potential confounding factors were calculated using logistic regression models with stepwise backward/forward. A p < 0.05 was accepted as significant, using Stata 16.0. Results: Most of the students (54.1%) were with malnutrition by excess and 20.0% exhibited abdominal obesity. Twenty percent of the students met the recommended intake for DGBF (fruits, vegetables, fish, milk and dairy products, legumes, water) and less than 5% did not consume any HPF. Consuming some sub-groups of HPF in moderate quantities (either no consumption or occasional consumption) increases the likelihood of meeting DGBF: candies and sweets (OR: 0.72; p = 0.04), pies with or without filling (OR: 0.63; p = 0.01), and salted snacks (OR: 0.67; p = 0.02). Conclusion: Our results contribute to reaffirm the need to enhance healthy food consumption among schoolchildren and to discourage the intake of HPF, particularly focusing on specific sub-groups of HPF that may increase the risk of displacing the consumption of food groups recommended by the DGBF.
dc.description.version	Versión Publicada
dc.identifier.citation	Pinheiro Fernandes AC, Araneda Flores J, Quintiliano Scarpelli Dourado D, Pizarro Quevedo T, Marques de Oliveira MR. Diet quality of Chilean schoolchildren: How is it linked to adherence to dietary guidelines? PLoS One. 2025 Feb 6;20(2):e0318206. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318206
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0318206
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/11447/9920
dc.language.iso	en
dc.subject	Chile / epidemiology
dc.subject	Adolescent
dc.subject	Child
dc.subject	Feeding Behavior
dc.subject	Humans
dc.subject	Students / statistics & numerical data
dc.subject	Male
dc.title	Diet quality of Chilean schoolchildren: How is it linked to adherence to dietary guidelines?
dc.type	Article
dcterms.accessRights	Acceso Abierto
dcterms.source	PloS one
dspace.entity.type	Publication
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery	61a1b02c-b3fa-419c-8fca-f17de41f409d